Pulitzer-prize winning photographer Brian Smith has been featured in LIFE, Time, Forbes, Sports Illustrated, and many other publications. His newest book, Secrets of Great Portrait Photography, chronicles the stories behind his best photos over the past 30 years. His advice is driven by a central themetake the time to get to know your subject.

Ibarionex Perello hosts and produces The Candid Frame podcast, teaches at the Art Center College of Design, and has written for numerous magazines. He's also the author of several popular book on photography, including Canon 5D Mark III: From Snapshots to Great Shots. Here, Ibarionex talks about how to handle others' thoughts and criticisms about your work.

New York fashion photographer and author Lindsay Adler knows that success doesn't come without risk. Don't be afraid to ask for opportunities, and remember that rejection is just another part of the process.

In a field with no contracts, reputation and relationships seem important to building a steady stream of work. But Teri Campbell, author of Food Photography and Lighting thinks it takes a lot more than that.

For a lot of photographers, album design is synonymous with headache. The hours (and hours!) spent designing are usually followed by weeks (or even months) of revisions, making for a painful experience for everyone involved. But it doesn’t have to be that way! Khara Plicanic, author of Album Moxie: The Savvy Photographer's Guide to Album Design and More with InDesign, offers ten tips to make the album creation process a joy.

Adobe Lightroom mobile synchronizes photos between your Lightroom library on a computer and an iPad or iPhone, but it's more than just an image conduit. Jeff Carlson, author of Adobe Lightroom mobile: Your Lightroom on the Go, shares some of his favorite tips for working with Lightroom mobile, from automatically importing new shots to copying adjustments between photos and environments.

A little planning upfront, before a photo session, can do incredible things to the outcome of a final print. During the holiday season, when families are in a rush to get amazing images to give as gifts and holiday cards, educating them on a few key points will make your job as a photographer (and their life as a parent) easier. In this article Dale Benfield, author of The Five-Minute Fix, explains how timing, outfits, professional stylists, and more can affect the photo session.